


Have You Ever Kissed a Girl?

by integrase



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/F, Football | Soccer, Gremlin D.Va, Hot Chocolate Dates, Magic: the Gathering - Freeform, Pharmercy Mention, Slow Burn, Sweet lady kisses, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, headcanons galore, mei-ling zhou and hana song friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-07-27 17:29:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7627426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/integrase/pseuds/integrase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cryosleep can be tough. Yearning can be tougher. Especially when all you yearn for is to kiss a tall, gorgeous, pink-haired bodybuilder, and you confide in a part-princess, part-gremlin 19-year-old. You've never blushed so much in your life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ch.1

If there was anyone in Overwatch to which Mei could tell anything, it was Hana Song.

To most anyone else in Overwatch, that might sound ridiculous, but the young video game wizard was the least judgemental person Mei had met in her thirty-one years of life. Maybe her uncritical nature was due to the exposure and desensitization Hana got from all of those years on the Internet. Maybe it was Hana's personality, plain and simple. Maybe it was how Hana was apathetic about most things interpersonal- which was definitely important for what Mei needed to confide in the girl today.

The day was turning to night, the first stars in the sky twinkling through the orange haze of dusk. Sunset was especially beautiful on Watchpoint: Gibraltar, when the massive fireball sunk down into the horizon, turning the sea into a glittery mosaic of colour. Mei was to meet Hana behind the barracks, at their usual spot: a picnic table, right next to where the grassy earth turned to the sand of the beach. There were other places to hang out in the “recreational” area, even a volleyball court and a few basketball hoops, but the picnic table was Hana's favourite spot.

Because that's where Mei met her friend to play _Magic: The Gathering_.

Not that Mei was any good at it. But Mei was a loyal, dedicated friend, and when Hana Song asked the scientist to play with her, of course Mei would learn all of the rules, and purchase herself a deck and card-sleeves on the mainland, and meet Hana every Wednesday and Friday to practice. That was the Mei-Ling Zhou thing to do. Plus, like the gamer celebrity felt out of place in Overwatch for being so young, Mei felt alien for losing so much time to cryosleep. Having a strong friendship was critical.

Mei approached Hana from the front, giving the girl a friendly wave as she walked towards her. Hana gave the scientist a peace sign with her fingers in return. Cards were already placed on the picnic table; Hana was playing a round of _Magic_ against herself. A bag of Doritos had been dumped in a bowl for the two to snack on, although Mei rarely touched the stuff, and Hana wasn't the best at sharing. Mei sat down on the wooden bench and discarded her heavy coat and gloves. She placed Snowball, her drone, on the tabletop. _My cheerleader_ , Mei had once explained.

“What's up, buttercup?” said Hana, not looking up from the cards in her hand. Both of the decks Hana seemed to be controlling had sizeable graveyards already. “You're late.”

“Sorry, sorry,” puffed Mei. “I got distracted with a few things after dinner. The air conditioning, for one.”

“Oh?” Hana still didn't look up from her cards.

“It uses old technology to keep my room cool! It's wasting a lot of energy,” explained Mei. “Bad for the climate, as one might expect.”

Hana snorted and fixated her eyes on Mei's, wearing a big smile. “You would worry about that, of all people!”

Mei tilted her head and grinned back before saying, “Let's get started.”

The game of _Magic: The Gathering_ was a good distraction for Mei to stop worrying about the particular conversation she needed to have with Hana. The young Overwatch agent was a fearsome opponent. Even when she seemed to be pulling out some of her weakest creatures, or if Mei was able to counter her toughest spells, Hana always seemed to have a trick up her sleeve and luck on her side. Not that Mei would ever accuse Hana of cheating. Nobody would ever do that. Being a female pro-gamer meant Hana was always under scrutiny before Overwatch, but no matter the accusation, “D.Va” always proved to simply be strategic and clever about how she played video games. It was the same with card games. Mei was being slowly sucked into a losing situation, but having fun all the while.

“Do you want a drink?” asked Hana, flatly.

“No, thank you,” replied Mei, which is exactly what Hana expected to hear. Mountain Dew was all Hana seemed to use for hydration, and the soda pop company wasn't even “D.Va's” sponsor. Mei much preferred hot cocoa.

“I'm only asking because you seem really, really off tonight. Like you need a whole shit-load of caffeine to focus,” said Hana.

A deep, red blush instantly trickled into Mei's cheeks. Her pale skin couldn't hide the colour if it tried. Mei kept her eyes locked onto her hand of cards anyways, avoiding the stare she knew she was getting from Hana. _Am I really that obvious?_.

“Is everything... ok?” Hana said as she laid her cards in a heap on the tabletop. Both hands went to support her chin, elbows on the wood in front of her.

Mei let her eyes drop to her lap. Her heart was racing. _Always intuitive, that kid_ , she thought.

“I have a- a question. A-and I know it's weird that I'm asking you it. Not that it's weird, or I think you're weird, but I couldn't think of anyone else to go to and ask except maybe Angela but she's always so busy-” blubbered the scientist, her words quickening the more she spoke.

“Dude. Relax,” Hana cut her off. She leaned away from the table and folded her arms over her chest.

“Okay, um. Have you... ever...” Mei had to take a second to breathe and collect her thoughts. “Have you ever kissed a girl?”

Silence. Awkward, awkward silence.

The mecha pilot's eyes were squinting, one eyebrow raised, mouth slightly agape. “Um, why?”

“Because I never have, but I can't stop thinking about it,” confessed Mei. She buried her face in her hands. Now she was sweating a little, and her whole body felt hot. This was worse than the time she had to tell Amélie she was “a big fan of her work”, on a dare from Lena; because this time, Mei was telling the truth.

After what felt like too long, Hana let out a small, “Not really.”

Mei glanced up at the girl.

“I mean, I've never really kissed anyone and meant it. I don't like that stuff,” admitted Hana.

“Oh. Well, that's okay. Not everyone does,” said Mei, readjusting herself to be sitting properly. She could practically feel the blush leave her cheeks.

“Ace mecha pilot, ace gamer, and 'ace'-sexual,” Hana giggled before sticking out her tongue. It was stained orange from all of the Doritos.

Just like that, the conversation ended and the game of _Magic_ resumed. Hana continued to triumph at the game, but Mei could feel a weight lifting off her back as she became immersed again in the fun. The moon had begun to glow in the sun's absence, full and milky-white in the sky; darkness was punctuated with stars, the same stars and constellations Mei knew before her long cryosleep. A breeze began as the world cooled around the two ladies. Mei shrugged her jacket back on as the fluorescent lamp nearby started to shine.

It took another twenty minutes until the scientist was defeated, having been fought down to zero life. Same as always, but never disappointing. Practice made perfect, Mei knew, just like on the battlefield. She had many close calls when she first started back with Overwatch. Dr. Ziegler was always there to patch her up, or Ana too (as much as her methods hurt), but the personal failures stung the most. It took a long time for her to to feel confident fighting alongside heroes, like Jack Morrison, Jesse McCree, or Lena Oxton. When she finally stacked up some small successes, her capabilities as a defender gleamed bright.

Could tonight be a success, too?

“Hana,” began Mei, as the two gathered their cards for clean-up. “The reason I a-asked is because- and I know this sounds silly coming from someone as old as me- but I was looking f-for advice.”

“I figured.” said Hana. She placed the empty Doritos bowl in a tote bag by her side, stood, and lifted Snowball up gently to analyze the little drone. “Who do you have a big ol' crush on, Mei-Ling?”

Snowball peeped a few times. Mei held her breath for a moment.

“Um, well, um!” The air escaped Mei, and the blush returned. “It's kind of, um, well-”

“It's Zarya, I bet,” Hana interrupted without looking up from Snowball's interface. She smirked when Mei only met her with silence. “Aleksandra Zaryanova, is her full name, right?” 

“How did you know?!” cried Mei.

“It's easy mode to figure that out. You're scared of Amélie, and Lena already has a big crush on her; Angela and Fareeha are a thing already; Ana is way old, leaving Zarya and Satya for girls in Overwatch. And I've never seen you staring at _Satya_!” explained Hana in a triumphant tone.

The worst part for Mei wasn't the pooling of sweat inside her jacket, or how her heart was about to burst. It was that Hana was totally, utterly right. Zarya was gorgeous, muscular, impressive, and tall; all of these qualities made Mei feel butterflies when she fixed her eyes on the Russian. Staring had lead to daydreams, which lead to night-time dreams, which lead to a curious yearning inside of Mei. The scientist was not obsessed, exactly. . . she just had a big, gay crush.

(“Gay” was a word Mei used lightly. She didn't feel as if it fit her identity one-hundred percent, because she still felt varying levels of attraction to men, too. But _c'est la vie_ , as Amélie would chuckle.)

“Please don't make fun of me,” Mei whispered.

Hana's eyes widened. “Of course not. It's nice to have someone around here who trusts me with anything at all.”

After clean-up, the ladies walked side-by-side towards the barracks, ready to hit the hay. Curfew was never enforced, only suggested, but it was a smart idea to get to bed before Jack Morrison took “suggesting” to a different level. A series of lamps marked the way to the barracks' front door, and the two moved between circles of light. Mei reflected on how their path represented her life: living from one happy moment to the next, pushing through the brief darkness in-between. So much had happened in the past year, such that there was little more than a whirlwind of memories and emotions since she had been thawed out from cryosleep. Days passed like snowflakes, sparkling in the breeze.

 _Where am I now?_ Mei asked herself. _Where will I be tomorrow?_


	2. Ch.2

“Breakfast! The most important meal of the day!”

Zarya's enthusiastic voice echoed loudly in the dining hall, all too cheerful for the early morning. The scents of bacon, crispy bagels, and hot coffee agreed with Zarya's statement, though, and the majority of Overwatch members were in the process of scarfing down their breakfasts. Seven AM sunlight shone golden and strong through the barred glass windows of the barracks. Mei stirred her mug of coffee with a spoon, letting the creamy brown catch the sunbeams while she contemplated on adding two sugars or three. Zarya would be grabbing her morning brew immediately after loading her plate, and so if the scientist were strategic, they could end up at the coffee station together.

Hana snapped her fingers several times across the table. “Hey, nerd, quit staring!”

Mei slipped out of her daydream and back into the present moment, a pink blush flooding across her cheeks. She took a sip of java and a bite of her blueberry bagel before acknowledging Hana again- with a harsh of a glare she could manage before eight AM. Lúcio sat to the gamer's right and diagonally from Mei, watching their interaction with a confused look on his face.

“Staring at what?” asked the musician, his mouthful of scrambled eggs garbling the question. He gulped them down before adding, “Or, uh, who?”

Lúcio made an incredibly conspicuous scan of the room, turning his entire top half to try and see from Mei's perspective. The scientist groaned and slapped her hands on her cheeks, eyes down onto her lap. A dollop of cream cheese became smeared beside her nose. Hana snickered, despite having ketchup on her upper lip.

Overall, the trio of Overwatch agents looked about half as ready for the day's work than anyone else in the room. Angela was glowing with cheer, sitting with the Amaris across the dining hall. Jack Morrison and Jesse McCree leaned against the coffee station, sipping black coffees and making small talk. Zenyatta meditated close to a window, facing the morning sunbeams, humming gently. Most others were grabbing food from the kitchen and happily chowing down. Even “Junkrat” looked more presentable than Hana, Mei, or Lúcio.

“I can't tell you that, Lúcio,” said Hana. “Otherwise, I might _crush_ Mei's spirits.”

Sometimes Mei hated being as pale as she was, because her face was shifting from a cream colour to a tomato red. “Don't start!”

“Say what?” laughed Lúcio.

“The staring thing: I can't say who Mei is staring at, because she might _have feelings_ about that.” giggled the mecha pilot.

“Hana!” cried Mei.

“See, she doesn't _lo-o-o-ove_ me doing this!”

Something clicked in place in Lúcio's mind. He propped an elbow on the table, hand stroking his barely visible goatee. He let out a teasing laugh. “Mei's got a thing going on?”

“No! No, I do not!” the scientist yelped.

“Little ones!”

A booming voice with a thick Russian accent came from the left of the trio's table. Each of the three agents swivelled their heads to see Zarya smiling down at them, although the voice was unmistakably hers. She wore a muscle shirt, pastel orange with white trim, and navy blue basketball shorts; it looked as if she were about to make all of Overwatch drop and do twenty. Zarya's commanding presence gave Mei instant butterflies in her tummy.

“Za-ree-ahh!” Lúcio sang. “How you doin'?”

“I was trying to enjoy my breakfast, and you little munchkins seem to be having a quarrel,” the pink-haired woman laughed. “Is everything ok?”

Mei couldn't meet Zarya's eyes; she hoped that Hana would do the talking for her. The femme cologne Zarya always wore began to creep up in Mei's nose. It wasn't an overpowering scent. It was _attractive_. She tried her best to not to lean in towards the bodybuilder.

But- Zarya had noticed the very obvious flush on Mei's face, and how she seemed to be breathing hard. 

“Ice girl!” chuckled Zarya. “Are these small ones giving you a hard time?”

Hana and Lúcio kept silent, and Mei knew they weren't going to save her from whatever happened next. Mainly because talking to your crush shouldn't be a big deal, right? _Right?_

“They... don't like...” Mei's hands shook as she spoke. “The coffee. They don't like it. Too.. strong!”

Zarya closed her eyes and gave Mei a grin from ear to ear, hands on her hips. Her teeth were pristine white and perfect, surrounded by two peachy-pink lips; her cheeks looked soft to the touch; her scar added to her unique beauty. In Mei's eyes, Aleksandra Zaryanova was the most lovely woman she had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

“Don't let Jack hear that, or he'll get as grouchy as a Siberian bear,” joked the bodybuilder, side-eying Soldier 76.

“I won't!” said Mei.

Zarya nodded and gave the group a two-fingered salute, then walked off to continue her breakfast routine. The scientist knew Zarya typically sat to eat with Tracer and Winston in the mornings: Tracer was a ball of energy, like her, and Winston kept a jar of protein-packed peanut butter at the table for his toast. (And his eggs. And his fruit bowl. Winston liked the stuff on everything.) They were always the loudest table in the dining hall before 10 AM. That trio was especially fun to watch eat breakfast before a big mission, since each of them would cram down food as if there wouldn't be any when they got back.

Hana was the first to speak when Zarya was out of earshot.

“Smooth as ice, 'Ice Girl'!”  
“Is she your crush, Mei?” asked Lúcio, eyebrows raised. He tapped his fingers on the tabletop in an expectant rhythm, one ebony cheek dimpled with a smirk.

“Um, yes,” whispered the scientist, followed by the last bite of her bagel. Too many emotions to process ran through her head: terror, delight, annoyance, love, yearning...

“Didn't know you swing that way. Not that I'm surprised, really. There's more gal pals around here than a Tegan and Sara concert,” Lúcio said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Fareeha with her arm around Angela.

“A what concert?” said the youngest at the table.

“Sorry, old twenty-tens music. Some sick beats made by two lesbians, found them on the web archives,” explained Lúcio. “I'm working on a cover of some of their stuff.”

Hana seemed content with that answer, stuffing her face with the remainder of her omelette. Breakfast was wrapping up in the dining hall, with about half of the tables cleared off. The twittering noises of friends chatting were replaced with the clanks and splashes of dishes being washed. Lúcio was the last of the trio to finish eating; all three Overwatch agents stood after their meal to begin tidying up, which took only a few moments when they worked in tandem.

Lúcio accompanied the women back to their rooms following breakfast. The pro-gamer inhabited a “room”- or perhaps better called a pig-sty with purple wallpaper and one too many consoles- down the hallway from Mei. The Brazilian man lived down one floor, directly beneath Hana. (He had once joked before, “I'm so glad you're ace so I don't have to listen to sex through the ceiling!” This specifically referred to the shenanigans of certain ladies on the top floor.) The trio stood at Hana's open doorway, getting ready to head their separate ways. Hana was to be consulting with Torbjörn later on mecha upgrades; Lúcio had assigned gym time, planning to play a soccer match with friends; and Mei had climatology articles to edit and publish.

“You guys gave me such a hard time at breakfast,” commented Mei as she tied her jacket around her waist. “And nobody told me I had cream cheese on my face, either. If this is bad karma-” she imitated Zenyatta with a arm gesture, “at least tell me what I've done wrong.”

“Cool it, 'Ice Girl',” replied Hana. “We're just trolling you.”

“Like, she means bugging you,” added Lúcio. “We don't mean any harm.”

He slung one arm around Mei's shoulders, and the other around Hana. His pearly teeth stood out against his dark face when he smiled, saying “Bring it in, group hug!”

Typical, cuddly Lúcio. Mei didn't mind the physical affection. Hana looked mildly hesitant, but still came in for the hug after a moment. The musician hummed a handful of happy notes and squeezed the ladies' shoulders before he let go of Mei . . . then wrapped his arm tighter around Hana to give her a noogie. Her dark auburn hair went from straight and tidy to resembling a rat's nest.

“That's what you get for being so mean to poor Mei,” chuckled Lúcio.

The mecha pilot groaned and freed herself from her friend's grasp, running her fingers through her hair like a comb. “That there is why I don't trust your hugs, dickhead.”

Mei laughed, with one hand over her mouth. She was just a little pleased about Hana's suffering after the breakfast incident. As the scientist brought down her hand, she checked her watch; it read 9 AM on the dot.

“Lúcio, don't you have to get going?” she queried aloud.

He slapped his forehead. “Oh, dang, I do. If I'm late, I'm gonna have to run laps for Z-”

It was like an idea had literally dawned on Lúcio with the way his face lit up. Mei and Hana watched him curiously.

“I'm playing soccer with Zarya, Lena, and Fareeha this morning. You should totally come watch!” the Brazilian said with a friendly punch to Mei's pale shoulder.

Mei's eyes widened behind her glasses. “I, um, have some papers to take care of...”

“'Ice Girl', you can do those any time. Go have fun!” Hana chimed in. “What time are you playing, Lúcio?”

“Game's at nine-thirty,” he said.

“Better hurry, Mei. I'll catch you guys later,” the gamer promised, forming a heart-shape with her hands. She entered her room and shut the door behind her, leaving Mei to Lúcio's begging puppy-eyes.

And just like that, Mei found herself being whisked away to watch her crush figuratively crush a soccer game.


	3. Ch.3

Royal blue jerseys adorned Lúcio and Zarya, who stood at the south end of the soccer field; Lena and Fareeha faced them from the north end, wearing cherry red. The two-versus-two soccer game had yet to begin . . . But damn, the tension was high.

Mei sat on the rickety wooden bleachers as she noted the ferocity building in all of the players. Beside the scientist was Angela, there to support her girlfriend, Fareeha. The two of them were cheering for opposing teams, technically, but chose nearby seats to visit one another in the large, indoor soccer arena. Artificial turf scent filled the air, while harsh fluorescent lights made everything seem to glow. Or, perhaps, it was the heat under Mei's jacket messing with her eyesight. She was all nerves as Lúcio pulled her from the barracks to the area, and the feeling intensified while walking through the door, choosing a spot, and trying desperately to not watch Zarya warming up for the game with dynamic stretches. Mei was more nerves than person at this point.

Thankfully, Angela hadn't noticed- or said anything about Mei's sweaty composure. Instead, the doctor had kindly offered Mei a _Hallo_ and a bottle of water. Angela's blue eyes smiled as much as her lips as she watched Fareeha dribble and pass the ball to Lena on the field. The scientist was just a touch envious of their relationship, but most everyone in Overwatch felt that from time to time. They were a beautiful couple. Mei hoped to one day have that with someone else.

“How are you feeling today, Mei-ling?” said Angela in a soft voice. Mei appreciated the doctor's insistence on using her full name.

“I'm doing just fine, thank you,” replied the scientist. She unscrewed the cap and took a swig of her water before adding, “I hope we weren't too loud for you at breakfast-time.”

“Of course not,” laughed Angela. “The dining hall is always a bit loud. Ana makes sure to comment on that every morning.”

Mei giggled in response. Both women turned their heads to watch the beginning of the soccer match. Team Red, Fareeha and Lena, had first kick, and stood at the centre line to take it. Team Blue, Lúcio and Zarya, staggered their defensive positions on the field.

“You'd better not blink around, Lena.” called Zarya. “That's cheating!”

“'Course not, love,” said Lena with a grin.

“Then, let's go!”

With Zarya's call, the game began. Lena passed the ball to Fareeha, and the lieutenant dribbled it along the far side of the field. Her footwork displayed her skilled agility and precision; watching her was impressive even from afar, Mei noted. But, Lúcio was quick to take on Fareeha. Out of everyone on the field, the musician was the most experienced in _futebol_ , and he took Fareeha one-on-one: the ball was soon his when she failed to deke around him. Lúcio carried the ball up the field for a couple of metres, then made a long pass through the air to Zarya. The soccer ball landed directly at the bodybuilder's feet.

Meanwhile, Mei followed Angela's lead in cheering for each team. Angela was very clearly cheering loudest for her girlfriend, but gave some hollers for her English teammate as well. Mei tried her hardest to cheer equally for both Lúcio and Zarya. The problem was she didn't want to seem too enthusiastic for the pink-haired woman, so she clapped loudest for her male friend . . . and then she would over-compensate by encouraging Zarya with happy shouts. Mei prayed nobody noticed her awkward internal dilemma.

The game shifted deep into Team Blue's end of the field. Lena was super speedy, even without her chronal accelerator. She kept the ball at her feet until the last second, heading into the goalie's box where Zarya was protecting the net, and suddenly spun around to pass the soccer ball to Fareeha. Like lightning, Fareeha pounded the ball into the top corner of the net. Zarya barely had time to react. Goal!

“Yeah!” cried out Lena. She sprinted to her teammate and gave her a two-handed high-five. Fareeha stayed humble while Angela did all the whooping and hollering for her.

Mei watched as Lúcio jogged over to Zarya to deliver a friendly slap on her back. The pink-haired woman smiled half-heartedly- like Zarya always said, she wasn't a good loser. But the game wasn't over. Now that Team Blue had first kick, they had a solid chance to get the play into Team Red's end of the field. Lúcio started the next go with a hard kick, making the ball sail into the opposition's half, and immediately he and Zarya sprinted after it. The Brazilian man was faster than his teammate, arriving in front of Lena seconds after she gained control of the ball.

“Oi!” shrieked Lena, surprised to see Lúcio already close. She punted the ball without thinking it through. It came close enough to Zarya that she snagged it and dribbled forward. Fareeha made an attempt to pull the ball from the Russian woman's feet, but Zarya was significantly more bulky, using her own body as a shield between the ball and the lieutenant. Lúcio sped around into Zarya's point of view. She passed the soccer ball to him; Lúcio was then on a beautiful break-away. He smashed the ball into the empty net. Score, one to one!

On the sidelines, Mei stood and hollered for Team Blue, hopping up and down. She surprised herself with her own enthusiasm. The soccer match certainly was better than the paperwork she originally planned to attend to this morning. Beside her, Angela was also having a lovely time; Mei bet she was also happy to be out of her office and watching the game. The two gave one another a high-five. This particular morning was turning out to be delightful.

Until something unexpected happened.

“I wanna play, too!”

Angela and Mei spotted Jamison Fawkes simultaneously, as he hobbled in from the arena entrance.

“Got room for one more?” the man better known as Junkrat continued to shout. Or say. Or whisper. Most of the time, Junkrat had no volume control over his own voice, but his hearing was shot from standing too close to hundreds of explosions.

“Hey, man, we've already started,” Lúcio explained as he wiped sweat from his brow. He returned the ball to centre line for Team Red's kick. “Can you even play without two feet?”

“Lúcio!!” interjected Lena. “Of course he can play. Don't get all feisty 'cause we're tied one-one!”

“But then we have an extra player, Lena,” said Fareeha, walking up from behind her.

“Or we just need one _more_ player, love,” replied Lena, always the optimist. The Brit turned to the stands, looking directly at Mei and Angela. She made finger guns, pointing one finger at each of the observers. “Angie! Mei-mei! Who's up for some footie?”

Mei felt her heart jump into her throat. All eyes were now watching the two women sitting in the bleachers. If the doctor weren't beside her, Mei might have tried to run away, half-jokingly; God knows if Lena would have literally jumped on her in protest. Probably. Mei was about to make up an excuse to stay sitting when Angela spoke up.

“I wish I could, but I rolled my ankle jogging with Fareeha yesterday,” she explained, then turned to give an apologetic smile to Mei.

“Mei-mei! Please!” begged Lena.

“Yeah, Mei, bring it on!” laughed Lúcio. Mei guessed that he had realized the possibilities arising from her joining the game. “Be on my team.”

With a blush as red as roses, the scientist squeaked, “Give me, um, five minutes to change.”

\---------

Somehow, Mei convinced herself to not flee from the locker room during those five minutes; she now stood on the field, donning a blue jersey and sweating bullets down her back. She was trying her hardest to remember the rules of soccer, since she wasn't a sports person, and all that came back to her was _no hands_. Coincidentally, her hands shook, and she hoped Zarya didn't notice. Mei and the bodybuilder were on defence, with Lúcio further down the field on offence. Team Red positioned themselves for first kick.

Junkrat had the honour, and ran forward to slam his left foot on the ball. It connected in such a way that the ball curved through the air into Zarya's part of the field. Team Red was immediately attacking their opposition. Lena raced to take on Zarya, but before they met, Zarya passed the ball to Mei; Mei stuck out her foot to grab it and accidentally punted the ball into the middle of the field.

 _Real smooth, 'Ice Girl'_ , she thought.

In fact, it did turn out to be an OK move. Lúcio was close enough by that he could gain possession of the ball. Upon doing so, Fareeha sprinted up behind him, but he shielded the ball long enough that Zarya ran into his line of sight. A quick pass was made, and the pink-haired woman was off to the net with both Junkrat and Lena on her tail.

The Australian man was too slow with his peg leg to catch Zarya. Lena, however, excelled at sprinting; she came at Zarya from the right and dug at the ball with a foot. Zarya realized her disadvantage in a foot race, and spun around to look for other Team Blue members. The size difference between Lena and Zarya was comical: there was no way for Lena to push her opponent off the ball. There was ample time to make a move.

At that point, Mei had already been forgotten by Team Red. Junkrat had tunnel vision and ran directly at the ball, while Fareeha was pacing beside Lúcio, keeping the Brazilian covered. This made Mei the perfect target for a pass. She ran diagonally, from the opposite side of the field towards the centre, waving one hand excitedly.

“Zarya! Here!” she called with as much courage as she could muster. “Zarya!”

The ball suddenly glided away from her crush and into Mei's direction, bouncing a little on the artificial turf. Mei put one foot out again, and this time took care to soften its stop. The soccer ball was hers! She swivelled her head to smile at Zarya- but a grinning Junkrat was in the way, still barrelling towards wherever the ball went. Lena, too, was heading straight for the scientist. There was something like chaos in her eyes. Mei darted down the field, more out of fear than out of the need to score a goal.

Her dribbling skills lacked, but the head-start helped Mei a lot, and before she completely processed what was happening, she used the tip of her shoe to smash the ball at Team Red's net. It sailed high through the air, spinning beautifully . . . then hit the top goal-post. The soccer ball rebounded to whack Mei square in the face.


	4. Ch.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mei lacks a lot of info on her back-story so I threw some headcanon in here. Enjoy!

The world wasn't black for long. But it was blurry. _Really_ blurry.

When Mei opened her eyes, she could tell her glasses were broken. Spider-web-like cracks covered the right lens, and the left lens was completely gone from the frame. Her wallet ached as badly as her face did when she thought about the cost of replacing the pair. In fact, she realized, her face hurt terribly- and it was wet, too. Mei guessed she had a nosebleed.

Something else was strange. The scientist couldn't feel her legs on the ground. She removed the remainder of her glasses from their perch on her nose, carefully rubbed both eyes, then took stock of her situation. Despite being far-sighted to a ludicrous degree, there were a few things Mei noticed. First, she was getting piggy-backed by someone significantly taller than her. Second, that someone had no problem carrying Mei, even with her chub and all. Third and lastly, Mei could smell a certain perfume through the blood scent in her nose.

_Zarya was definitely carrying Mei._

There was a moment in which Mei considered faking unconsciousness. Her mind was torn between humiliation and delight, and pretending to be asleep would mean she could avoid revealing either of those feelings. Then again, she felt she would display too much weakness if a mere soccer ball knocked her out; she had worked so hard to prove herself as a strong defender to Overwatch. At least her friends now knew she could kick a ball like a pro.

Zarya beat Mei to breaking the silence, asking, “You okay, Ice Girl?”

“Um, yeah, I think so,” whispered the scientist.

“Good! Good!” said Zarya. “No soccer game is complete without someone being carried off of the field!”

Mei felt the pink-haired woman's strong laugh vibrate through her. The bodybuilder shifted Mei, who was slipping a little, higher up on her back. Mei squeezed her arms a little tighter around Zarya.

“Thank you. For this,” Mei added. Her tongue darted out of her mouth to taste the blood on her lips. “Are we going to the infirmary?”

“No, no. We are going to my room. Doctor Ziegler says I can patch you up.” explained Zarya.

After a moment of awkward silence, the bodybuilder added, “I have my First Aid and CPR.”

Mei could practically hear Hana Song teasing her: _You'd better take advantage of that CPR!_ Her face reddened at the thought. Zarya was already carrying her, like Mei had fantasized once before. She wasn't sure how much more personal she wanted to get today. So, Mei rested her chin on Zarya's shoulder and let herself be carried to the Russian's room.

It took all of ten minutes to reach the barracks and head up to the third floor. Zarya took the stairs with Mei on her back, like a true champ. Zarya's room was on the same floor as Mei's and Hana's, but on a different side of the building from their rooms, meaning the pink-haired woman got the afternoon sunshine. The light spilled out from underneath her door before Zarya unlocked it and swung it open. She carried Mei over to the bed, and spun around to delicately place Mei in a sitting position. The scientist meekly thanked Zarya.

“It is no problem! Let me grab my First Aid Kit and I will make you all better,” she replied, walking towards her washroom.

Mei took the chance to replace her glasses and analyze her surroundings. She sat upon a hand-stitched quilt, made of blue, pink, and yellow fabrics. The wall touching the bed's headboard was almost completely covered in posters: some were of things Mei expected, like Olympian medalists and motivational fitness phrases; others were more unusual, like Borzoi puppies, motorcycles, and horror films. There were a handful of protein-bar wrappers next to a desktop computer on a nearby desk. A few ceramic pots holding succulent plants sat on the windowsill, and underneath the window were a collection of foam rollers and yoga mats.

The best part was the huge teddy bear on Zarya's bed, with a purple bowtie and plenty of fluff. It tickled Mei to see this side of Zarya. The scientist was squeezing the teddy's paws when Zarya returned from her washroom, first aid kit in hand.

“Sorry that I took so long,” said Zarya. “I got distracted with- ah! I see you have met my Siberian bear!”

Zarya pointed at the teddy bear with a grin, but Mei felt like she had been caught red-handed. A blush burned across her cheeks.

“Sorry! Sorry! I'm not meaning to mess with your things,” she squeaked.

The bodybuilder just laughed. “No, Mei-ling, it is OK! You let _Tykva_ comfort you.”

Mei wasn't sure what was cuter: that Zarya had a name for her Siberian bear, or that she had called Mei by her full name. The blush on her cheeks deepened and she worried she might sweat a little.

Zarya came and sat on the bed beside Mei. In her hands was a damp cloth; she began to dab at the dried blood on Mei's upper lip and chin. The scientist tried her hardest to not stare at Zarya as she concentrated on cleaning her face. It was difficult: as Zarya worked, she narrowed her eyes and slightly pushed out her bottom lip, and her large scar curved along with her eyebrows when they furrowed. Mei thought the bodybuilder looked adorable. Positively . . . kissable.

 _Better push that thought out of your head, 'Ice Girl',_ went Mei's inner voice. Her pulse raced.

When the scientist's face was clean, Zarya gently held Mei's chin, checking over for any cuts or abrasions. Thankfully, Mei's glasses did not shatter and slice her face. The only evidence of Mei's accident were bruises, broken spectacles, and busted dignity. Zarya grinned when she was done looking her “patient” over, and put both hands onto Mei's shoulders.

“We are all good here!” cheered Zarya. “Nothing I couldn't fix. How do you feel?”

“I'm, um- I'm all right,” said Mei. “Thank you. For helping me.”

Zarya suddenly flopped onto her bed beside where Mei sat. Her arms were stretched above her head, while her feet dangled off of the bedside. “Of course, Mei. I always aid a comrade in need. Even omnics like Zenyatta!”

Judging by the smile on her face, Mei could tell she was expecting them to have a laugh together. But the scientist took a chance and probed further.

“Do you really mean that?” she asked.

“Hmm?” replied Zarya. “Which part?”

“Would you really help an omnic?”

There was a tense silence before Zarya answered. Her arms moved to rest on her abdomen.

“I would do what I was told to do,” the pink-haired woman mumbled. “Why do you ask me this?”

Mei inhaled, dropping her gaze to look at the quilt instead of meeting Zarya's eyes. “Because I don't know what I would do. I don't . . . know.”

Her words made Zarya sit up, and the Russian woman clasped her fingers on her lap. She was slouched over with a stoic expression.

“I thought you were many years older than me, Ice Girl,” she said. “I thought omnics were kind in your time.”

Mei brought her legs onto the bed to nervously hug her knees. She tilted her head to make eye contact with Zarya. A sad smile formed on the scientist's face.

“I am thirty-one now. I was thirty-one when I began cryo-sleep, too. So, I... remember the omnic crisis, yes. Um, and some time before it,” began Mei. “But I was still just a teenager. I joined Overwatch much later when I finished my PhD.

“When I was in Watchpoint: Antartica, some of my team believed that omnics were responsible for Earth's climate change. I did not agree with them. But when the storm hit, and everything got so cold . . . we started freezing one by one. You start looking for something easy to blame.

“Now that I am awake again, and I see today's world, I know better about omnics' natures. They are not inherently bad. Um, but that experience in Antartica that was actually so many years ago . . . it doesn't go away.”

She had spilled her darkest thoughts to Zarya, and now Mei felt like she might burst. This burden was something she hadn't even confessed to Hana. The bodybuilder kept her gaze on Mei even after she finished speaking. Mei noticed for the first time the unique emerald green of Zarya's eyes. Her stomach twisted into anxious knots.

“Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry. That was a lot,” chirped Mei.

“It is fine. I guess I never thought about what you have been through,” said Zarya. Her expression had shifted from stony to reflective. “We should have coffee together soon so I can hear more, Mei-ling!”

\-----

Hana Song always had her smartphone on her person. Most of her notifications were turned off so she could avoid being bothered by her thousands of fans; therefore, when her phone did buzz, it was probably important. She felt the vibrations of a text-message alert in her pocket and pulled her cell out to check it.

“Message from Mei-ling Zhou at 11:15am:

“OMG HANA IM DYING U WONT BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED <3<3<3 !!!

“Message from Mei-ling Zhou at 11:16am:

“(not really dying & pls don't be worried) <3<3

“Message from Mei-ling Zhou just now:

“i'm in my room now, come get me for lunch at noon?”


	5. Ch.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a while to get this chapter out because of my furious desire to write another Pharmercy one-shot. Here's something non-smutty & more cutesy!

Hana Song's first impulse upon seeing Mei at noon was to grill her for all the information she could. Mei knew it was coming- she sent those text messages before she really thought her actions through- but she didn't feel prepared when Hana knocked viciously at her suite's door, like a rattlesnake ready to strike.

“I'm coming, Hana!” cried Mei. “Chill out!”

The knocks lessened in intensity only a little before Mei opened the door. She was tempted to take her time and rile up Hana with more waiting- but the scientist wasn't that kind of person. As soon as the lock unlatched and Mei turned the doorknob, her close friend was through the entryway. The mecha pilot scampered to Mei's bed and flung herself upon the white duvet.

“Tell me everything. Did you smooch Zarya? Did she smooch you? Are you guys gonna elope? Can I be your flower girl?” said Hana in a single breath.

“Very funny, Hana,” muttered Mei.

“No, for real though. What happened?”

The Chinese woman was wearing a bathrobe, having just showered all of the sweat from the soccer game off of her body. The robe was patterned with little macaroni penguins against a white background; Mei ran a finger in nervous circles around one of the flightless birds as she spoke.

“I got into an accident on the soccer field, so Zarya took me to her room and checked me over- no, not like that Hana, stop doing that with your face!- and we started to talk. And, I don't know, I guess she said she wanted to get coffee with me. Some time.”

Mei finished her explanation with cheeks as red as raspberries. When she glanced up to check what Hana was doing, she wasn't expecting to see confusion.

“That's it? Mei, that's not a big deal! I thought you were gonna be like . . .” Hana stood, made some stereotypical bodybuilding stances, and deepened her voice. “'Oh, Mei, you are the cutest girl in ze world! Let us make love here and now, Ice Girl!'”

Sometimes, Hana Song could be a little shit. Other times, Hana Song had a golden sense of humour. This was one of the latter times. Mei laughed so hard she had to wipe tears out of her eyes, and felt her awkwardness talking about the incident wash away with them. Then again, she knew that she could trust Hana with anything, so the shyness was unwarranted.

“Your Russian accent is terrible,” giggled Mei.

“My French is worse. You should have seen Amélie's face when I tried to mimic her. I think she added me to her hit-list.”

And that was that: the news was broken to her young friend, and now Mei and Hana could figure out the next steps to take. Mei felt her tummy grumble for lunch when her anxiety lessened, so she hurried to get dressed and style her hair while Hana laid on the bed, updating Lúcio on the Zarya situation. It took ten minutes for them to leave the room on their way to the dining hall.

Lena exited onto the staircase just after Mei and Hana did, calling “Oi!” to get their attention. The two women paused so Lena could catch up.

“Mei! How're ya holding up, luv?” she asked. Lena was also freshly showered: her normally spiky hair was still damp and flat on her head, and her skin was flushed pink.

“I'm doing okay, thank you,” replied Mei. “My favourite glasses are broken, but I have a spare pair.”

“Ah, good stuff! I thought Angie would have ta' sent you to the medical bay. You went with Zarya, yeah?”

Mei tried to avoid giving any kind of blushy reaction. “Yes. But, um, there was nothing to patch up.”

Hana chimed in, “Nothing but quality time for those two!”

Thankfully, Lena didn't seem to pick up on the connotations of the gamer's words. Mei would have fled the scene if Lena had; instead, she glared at Hana. She gave the scientist a shit-eating grin in return.

The three made idle chit-chat until they reached the dining hall, which was almost full with other hungry Overwatch agents, and therefore bustling and noisy. Lena broke away from the others to greet Amélie as she walked in with Angela and the Shimada brothers. Mei and Hana continued to their usual table where Lúcio was halfway through an egg salad sandwich. He waved as the women approached.

“Mmmei!” called the musician with a mouthful of food. “You all good?”

“Hi, Lucy. I'm healthy, no worries,” she said as she sat down.

“Clean bill of health, in fact. She got the full physical examination,” added Hana.

In that moment, Mei realized that Hana was _not_ going to drop this. She slowly lowered her face onto her palms, elbows on the tabletop, and groaned. Hana snickered mischievously. Lúcio pretended not to get the joke as to not encourage the Korean woman, but failed and smiled with his teeth.

“Go get food, you dorks,” he said after a moment. “I hate eating by myself.”

They rose simultaneously and headed to the kitchen, where trays of sandwiches were set out for the taking. Fresh soups simmered on a stovetop nearby, filling the kitchen with lovely, homey smells, and making Mei's mouth water. She briefly wondered who staffed the Overwatch kitchen. They needed a raise.

Mei filled her tray with a grilled cheese sandwich and chicken noodle soup, with a brownie for dessert. Hana grabbed a turkey swiss sandwich and three brownies, and shoved a fourth in her mouth. When they got back to the table, they noticed Lúcio had grabbed them all iced tea and thanked him; he had finished his food already and seemed impatient to hear the news about Mei and Zarya.

Not that there was much, Mei admitted at the end of the Zarya-Mei recap. “But still. I don't know what I should do next.”

“Hmm,” Lúcio began. “And Zee didn't say when she wanted to go for coffee?”  
Mei shook her head and dipped her sandwich into her soup before taking a bite.

“Huh. Well, I have her number, so I could give you that and you two could set something up.”

The scientist froze.

“ _Ooo_ , get your sext on, 'Ice Girl,'” whispered Hana.

Mei tried her best to ignore the long-haired girl. “Are you sure?”

“Of course!” said Lúcio. “I won't stop you from getting your sext on.”

This elicited a grumble from Mei as she swiped the Brazilian man's phone from his hands. He had already opened the phone to his contact for “Aleksandra Zaryanova” and Mei made quick work of transferring the info to her cell. When she looked up, she could see the pink-haired woman across the room; Mei decided it would be too cowardly to text Zarya when she could easily walk over and talk to her. The scientist just . . . didn't have the guts to do so right now. It had been a big morning.

Getting Zarya's number, however small of a feat, was still a start. Mei thought over her plan of action as sipped her chicken noodle soup. Meanwhile, Hana and Lúcio chattered and drank their iced tea. The Chinese woman half-paid attention to Lúcio's explanation of what happened after she and Zarya left the game: Junkrat and Fareeha remained on Team Red, while Lena moved over to Team Blue, but the game didn't last too long; Winston came around to the soccer field to rip a new one on Jamison Fawkes. The Australian man had apparently traded the ape's peanut butter stash to Roadhog in exchange for fireworks, meaning Winston was right pissed off without his nutty goodness.

“It was actually freakier than when Soldier 76 doesn't get his morning coffee,” explained Lúcio.

“Yikes,” said Hana and Mei in unison.

Mei finished as much as she could eat with her mind still racing and planning. At some point, Hana had stolen her half-eaten brownie, so she was left with a few noodles and veggies at the bottom of her bowl. She briefly got a wave of homesickness at the sight, thinking of the noodle soups her mother had made for her all those years ago. It was hard, but Mei pushed the thought away. She could talk about home to Zarya another day over drinks. Today, the scientist just needed to decide on how to approach her crush for a hang-out-or-maybe-a-kind-of-date.

After cleaning up their dishes, the trio walked out of the dining hall, with Lúcio and Hana still chirping between themselves. Mei split off from her younger friends when they headed to the shooting range, deciding that peace and quiet would calm the headache rising between her ears. _Stress_ , she told herself. 

And so, she found herself on the third floor of the barracks again. She knew where Zarya's room was this time, and had to resist focusing on her door. Mei day-dreamt for a brief moment that she knocked on that door, but the bubble popped as soon as the imaginary Russian turned the handle. It was like Mei's brain was mocking her anxiety. It was frustrating.

That was when the scientist decided enough was enough. She could be wimpy and fail at making a new friend- or something more-; or, she could pull out her phone and send a simple text asking Zarya when she was down for a meet-up, and make things _happen_. Mei hated feeling frozen in time, stagnant, and lost. She had lived that for too many years. But, she had control again. She could do it.

“New Message to: Zarya

“Hello, it's Mei. Lúcio gave me your number (if that is OK?).

“If you really want to get coffee, when is a good time? I am not busy lately except for getting hit in the face LOL.....

“Sent at 12:47pm.”

By the time Mei finished her message, she had made it into her room. She discarded her coat onto the back of the chair at her writing desk, hopped onto her bed, and curled up with her head on the pillows. The headache was presently pounding behind her eyes. She noticed with irritation that Hana had left some oil or grease on the white sheets- the mecha pilot must have gotten dirty while working in the garage. _Nice one, you gremlin._

Mei's phone vibrated thrice.

“Message from: Zarya – 12:51pm

“lol lol your face is fine tho b/c of me!!! i am the new dr. ziegler lol

“no thx to coffee b/c then i cant sleep lol but i like hot chocolate do u?

“let me bring u some tonite after OW meeting ya? i know where your room is!!

“not creepy lol lena told me. little british creeper... jkjk”

The feeling of her heart fluttering in her chest was Mei's clearest indication that she was going to have plenty of fun messaging Zarya. The way the text read in her mind's voice was so, so endearing. Mei immediately started to compose something almost as cute right back.


	6. Ch.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking forever to get this chapter up! I've been super busy with university. Forgive me, and enjoy the read. There are still a few more chapters to come, I think!

Overwatch team meetings took place every Wednesday and Saturday evening, inside an echoey boardroom that looked better suited to the likes of CEOs and high-salaried professionals. Because the meetings were spaced so far apart, and so much could happen in three days, the gatherings tended to be as exciting as they were long. Mei personally loved attending; here, she could listen to the greatest people in her life explain their amazing, on-going work.

On the other hand, Hana despised sitting and listening to the chatter of Overwatch if her attention was not captured in the first ten minutes. She would pull her phone out and start gaming. Once, she even managed to live-stream to her fans during a meeting, until a grumpy Jack Morrison threatened to take her cell and fling it into the ocean. Mei tried to convince Hana that Soldier: 76 was only making an example of her, but really, the scientist didn't doubt that Jack would do it. 

Hence why it was ironic that Mei was glued to her phone on Saturday evening, tummy full of dinner and also what felt like butterflies. She and Zarya hadn't stopped texting since lunchtime. Besides sharing some of their favourite memes, music albums, and classic television shows, Mei and Zarya had talked a lot about their pasts and present. Mei learned about Zarya's big family, and how her younger siblings loved to be lifted up onto her shoulders- as Zarya grew more muscle, she could eventually lift all of the kids at once. Zarya learned about Mei's college years, some of which were spent abroad in northern Canada, studying the effects of climate change on polar bear habitats.

The exchange of personal stories had Mei so jazzed that she didn't realize until the last second that someone in the Overwatch meeting was speaking to her. She yelped, “What? Pardon?”

“Your face, I said. How is it?” said Winston, sitting directly behind the climatologist.

She spun to look at him, cheeks going pink. Winston had a particularly loud speaking voice in the first place; he used an even louder voice to repeat himself. So now, there was no way everybody attending the meeting was unaware of the morning soccer game incident.

“My face is fine, Winston,” whispered Mei. “Thank you for checking in.”

Winston smiled and nodded in reply. Mei turned back to face the current presenter. It was Amélie, reporting the latest information on Talon she had picked up from the organization's underground communications line. The French woman glared at Winston and Mei for interrupting, then returned to her speech, with speckles of French here and there . . . Just enough that Mei was having troubles understanding- English was hard enough to learn, and random French threw her off- so she brought her attention back to her cell phone.

No reply yet. Mei was surprised at the intensity of her own disappointment. Hana would definitely make fun of her, if she knew. But Hana sat at a different area in the boardroom, next to Torbjörn; together they were to present on the latest advancements on the gamer's MEKA. 

Mei herself was sandwiched between Reinhardt and Bastion. The omnic was in hibernation mode, and Reinhardt had Mei on his blind side, so Mei wasn't under either of their scrutiny. She scrolled through a climatology journal while waiting for Zarya to text her back.

 _Bzzt-bzzt-bzzt!_ Finally!

The text from the bodybuilder read, _i'm up next, lol at least pretend 2 pay attn!_

Whoops. A few beads of sweat formed on Mei's forehead. She scanned the room, trying to see exactly where Zarya was watching her from, yet she couldn't find her. The scientist texted back, _I promise!_

Concluding her talk, Amélie made sure to frown with narrowed eyes once more in Mei's and Winston's general direction as she left the podium. The French woman always looked impeccable, and just a little risqué, but one angry look from Amélie was enough to make anybody's toes curl. Mei accidentally made eye contact with her and felt like she'd stepped on Legos.

Zarya soon took centre stage. The pink-haired woman had a handful of cue cards, which she arranged on the podium, then promptly began to speak. Her talk described the continuing construction of additional workshop space at Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Zarya was a boon to the engineers at the Overwatch headquarters, as she was excellent at the manual labour they needed. She enjoyed the work(out), too. From the sounds of it, construction was going swimmingly.

As she listened, Mei tried her damnedest to keep focused on what Zarya was presenting. But whenever her concentration slipped, the scientist began to stare. First, at Zarya's lips: the reddish colour of dawn, bottom lip plumper than the top, complementing her squared jaw. Next, at Zarya's shoulders: buff, just at the line between masculine and feminine, tattooed, and something Zarya was proud of. And last, at Zarya's eyes: that colour of green like forest grasses, with th-

Eye contact. Mei's heart fluttered. Zarya was suddenly smiling at Mei as she spoke, her powerful voice not missing a beat, then her eyes flicked away to look at somebody else. _How hard was I staring? Did anyone notice? Was she smiling at me?_ zipped through the scientist's head. She wiped additional perspiration off of her forehead with a sleeve. She noticed her face was hot- and probably flushed, too.

“. . . And that's all I've got to say for now. Thank you for your time,” finished Zarya.

Mei kept her eyes on her lap. She could hear Zarya's footsteps as she left the speaking area and headed back to her seat, which turned out to be at the furthest row in the back of the room. Chatter quickly overtook the crowd in between presentations.

_Bzzt-bzzt-bzzt!_

_haha lol come on i wasnt THAT interesting. u sleep with eyes open?_ read a text from Zarya.

 _I was paying attention, I promise! LOL just probably zoned out a little after spidergirl's talk..._ replied Mei.

_lol lol!_

Mei bit her lips and made herself hit send on her next message: _Are we still on for hot chocolate?_

The wait for Zarya's reply felt agonizingly long. In reality, only a minute passed- but the _ya of course, lets go to dining hall 2gether after_ from the pink-haired woman had Mei sighing with relief.

\---  
As the members of Overwatch filed out of the boardroom, Mei's entire body seemed more and more warm and tingly. She tried hard to keep her composure, but the scientist was so excited and nervous at the same time that it felt like her emotions were waging a great battle inside of her, swords drawn and arrows nocked. She prayed she didn't pass out.

Mei's sweater was tied around her waist; the fluffy old thing was too insulating now. She wore an aquamarine tank-top, with a small choker wrapped around her neck, and her favourite pair of blue jeans. Her hair was up in its usual bun- yes, Mei had dressed up a little, but styling her hair would be a bit much, she figured.

Zarya had waited for Mei outside of the meeting room. The scientist spotted her crush next to an ornamental flowering shrub in the foyer. The blossoms on the plant nearly matched Zarya's hair.

“Good evening, Ice Girl!” greeted the bodybuilder. Her eyes closed as she grinned.

“Hi!” squeaked Mei as she approached.

“You ready for hot chocolate?”

Mei _mm-hmmed_ , adding, “You did really well at your presentation, by the way.”

“Thank you!” said Zarya. “I am still getting used to these meetings. Group work, you know?”

“I like group work.”

In Mei's mind, she was facepalming. What an articulate sentence.

“I guess that's why you are the scientist, _da_?” laughed Zarya. “Anyway, let's get going.”

The women left side-by-side from the foyer, out the doors and into the night. The moon was no longer full; streetlights flooded the shadows where the moon could not. Mei and Zarya followed the sidewalk towards the dining hall. The Russian seemed to be limping, realized Mei.

Or not. Zarya was just walking curiously.

“What are you doing there?” asked Mei.

“Ah, I- Um, you know the thing?” replied Zarya. “Step on crack, break Mother's back?”

Now the pink-haired woman was blushing, as if she were caught like a child with their hands in the cookie jar. Mei smiled. “I do know that one!”

And so the two Overwatch agents hopped over the lines between slabs of concrete on their way to the dining hall. It had been a long time since Mei had last played this game. She couldn't keep a smile off of her face if she tried. Zarya was so much more _adorable_ than Mei had imagined. And most people could look at her massive, muscular figure and think of Zarya as terrifying, but no, Mei understood that Zarya might be the cutest person she had ever met. Her nicknaming, her enthusiasm, her room decor... all of Zarya's features filled Mei with a joy she could hardly comprehend. It felt _awesome_.

Not long ago, Mei had asked Hana that one important question: have you ever kissed a girl? 

Soon, Mei hoped, she could tell Hana: I have kissed a girl. It was Zarya, and it was, in fact, _awesome_.


	7. Ch.7

Maybe it was a little too early for thinking about kissing Zarya, thought Mei as she sipped on her mug of steaming hot chocolate. A dollop of whipped cream melted slowly into the brown drink, making little white swirls between the bubbles; Mei was reminded of the oceans she sailed upon at Watchpoint: Antarctica momentarily. But then she returned to pondering the tough stuff.

First of all, Mei wouldn't know what to do, exactly. She had kissed men before, and she had even had a boyfriend, once . . . but she had never done anything with a pretty girl other than stared at her. The scientist didn't want to mess up her first lady-kiss.

Secondly, Mei couldn't remember what came first: kissing, or dating? So much time had passed since Mei's last relationship (which was a disaster, but that's a story for another day) so she didn't recall the beginnings of a relationship. Television and film were unrealistic guides, too. The scientist supposed she could ask someone else in Overwatch. Fareeha, maybe. But they weren't that close, and people might start asking questions. Hana wouldn't be of any help. What about Lúcio?

And finally, the biggest problem: Mei didn't know if Zarya even _liked_ -liked girls. The bodybuilder was a bit of a flirt, yeah, but that didn't mean much- Jesse McCree, for example, was incredibly gay, but he flirted with every gender under the sun. (Mei recalled the time that Jesse flirted with her, right after she re-joined Overwatch. She couldn't be in the same room as him for a month.) If Zarya ended up being straight all along, Mei would be beyond embarrassed about trying to kiss her. Maybe Zarya would be flattered . . .

“Mei-ling, you burnt your tongue?” said the pink-haired woman, breaking a too-long silence in the dining hall kitchen. Zarya walked over to where Mei stood, the smaller woman leaning forward onto a countertop, her glasses fogged with hot chocolate steam. “You are so quiet.”

“N-no! I'm fine,” reassured Mei. “Just had a big day. That's all.”

“If you say so. Never show weakness, da?”

Zarya set her mug on the counter, across from Mei, and leaned in towards the Chinese woman with a big grin on her face. “Take a seat. You said we could talk omnic tonight, so let's get comfy.”

“O-okay.” If there was such thing as an anti-blushing pill, Mei would pay hundreds of dollars to have one now. Every time Zarya got close, Mei could feel a big pink splash form on her cheeks. She prayed the Russian woman didn't notice how she blushed.

The two grabbed stools and pulled them up to the countertop. Mei was in a bit of a daze- this felt a _lot_ like a coffee shop date- and smacked her hipbone hard on some kitchen cupboards. She yelped in surprise.

“Ice Girl? Did you hurt yourself again?” asked Zarya with concern.

“I'm f-fine! I'm . . . just clumsy.” said Mei through clenched teeth. Her hands clutched her hip. This was going to bruise.

“Okay. Because if I wanted to patch that up, I'd have to take off your pants,” giggled Zarya. “I don't know you that well, yet!”

The scientist screamed internally. Desperately, she stopped herself from reading too far into Zarya's words. It took a few moments before Mei could let go of her hip and hop onto the stool. She let out a string of apologies, keeping her eyes on her mug of hot chocolate, only looking up at Zarya when she finished mumbling. Zarya was looking at her with amusement, but not mockery.

“All is well. I was always a tall child, and when I hit my growth spurt, I ran into everything. My limbs seemed to be everywhere,” she explained to Mei, emphasizing her story with her hands. “Then, when I got into lifting, I started to break everything. I did not know my own strength!”

Mei smiled. She couldn't exactly relate, but she appreciated Zarya's empathy. The taller woman took a swig of her drink. “So, tell me your story, Ice Girl.”

They began. They talked for hours, late into the evening, first about Mei's life before and after cryosleep, then about Zarya's experience growing up in a war-torn town, and finally about fighting the Siberian Omnium. The stories felt so much real, talking about them face-to-face this time; Mei could see the Russian's passion for defending her country and protecting her family. She asked questions periodically, or related with short tales here and there. Sometimes, it felt like they grew up in different eras, or perhaps on different planets. Mei realized how fortunate she was that their paths crossed. She wondered if Zarya felt the same way.

Eventually, they ran out of life history to share. The women switched to speaking of the present, and a little bit of the future: their goals, their dreams, their friendships at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, their favourite ways to spend free time . . . and then Zarya asked Mei an unexpected question.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“I- what? What?” Mei had long ago finished her hot chocolate, so she was glad she didn't have the drink so choke on.

Zarya flushed slightly. “Like, are you dating anyone here? I hope that's not too weird a question. Just wondering!” She started to blather a little. “Like, Fareeha and Angie are together and I didn't know if- um, if there were lots of couples on base or what. If that's normal and okay for Overwatch members to date one another.”

“No!” said Mei a bit too quickly. “I mean, uh, no, I'm not seeing anybody.”

Zarya smiled. “Okay! Just wondering. Like I said.”

“I think Jack doesn't appreciate on-base couples,” added Mei. “But I don't think he would stop anybody. It's hard to keep people from- um, from getting crushes and the like. And Fareeha and Angela are so cute together!”

Zarya nodded in agreement, running her fingers through her short magenta hair. “They are cute. It's nice to, uh, have other gays on base!” She said this like she was forcing herself to speak aloud. Her eyes pointed somewhere to the right, as if she were avoiding looking directly at Mei. The scientist could almost hear the other woman's heart beating in her chest.

Something inside Mei clicked into place. A warmth spread up from her legs and into her tummy. She let out a giggle. “I'm pretty sure there are lots of LGBT friends in Overwatch, Zarya.”

A breath Zarya had been holding whooshed through her lips. _She was unsure of my reaction_ , guessed Mei. 

“I hoped so, but I didn't know so,” said Zarya. “What . . . about you? Are you . . .?”

Mei blushed for the umpteenth time. “I'm something, I guess. I've never dated a girl, but I think I'd like to.”

“Ah, I see.”

Silence took over the room. Mei didn't know what to follow up with- she figured she might say something too confessional- and Zarya tapped her fingers in a rhythm on the countertop, her mind focused on something else. The scientist watched her crush carefully, trying to get a read on what she was feeling. Zarya was chewing on her bottom lip, just a little.

The pink-haired woman flicked her gaze up to make eye contact with Mei. “I have tell you the truth. I- um, I already knew that.”

“What?” Mei was taken aback. “How?”

“Little Hana told me. We both work in the garage a lot,” began Zarya. “Myself, on construction, and her, on her mecha. She has my number for whenever she needs heavy lifting done. And she texted me last night, saying you confessed to her about a crush while you were playing Gathering Magic, or whatever.

“Hana said . . . she said you have a crush on me, Mei-ling.”

The bodybuilder noticed the bewildered face on Mei, and added, “She also said you _didn't_ make her promise not to tell.”

\---

Number one: Mei-ling Zhou was going to throw Hana Song off of the highest rock on Watchpoint: Gibraltar, right into the ocean.

Number two: Mei-ling Zhou had been totally played by Aleksandra Zaryanova, who knew all along that she had a crush on her; furthermore, Mei-ling Zhou had the distinct feeling that Aleksandra Zaryanova was completely okay with said crush.

Number three: Aleksandra Zaryanova had come around the counter to stand beside Mei-ling Zhou, and put an apologetic arm around her shoulders.

_What the hell is this day?_

\---

By the time Mei was okay to speak again, Zarya had carried a stool over next to her, and the two sat side-by-side; Zarya's huge, muscular arm returned to its place across Mei's shoulders. To the scientist, Zarya felt especially warm, but that might have been her being hyperaware of their closeness. The femme cologne Zarya always wore drifted into Mei's nostrils.

“I'm . . . sorry,” was all that Mei could whisper. Her stomach felt like it was falling down, down onto the tiled kitchen floor.

Zarya squeezed Mei's arm. “No need to be sorry. I should be the sorry one.”

“Why?” said Mei, eyes on her lap. She realized she was holding back tears until one rolled down her nose, and splashed on her tank top. “I'm-”

“You didn't do anything wrong, Ice Girl! No, no, no,” interrupted Zarya. “I knew all along, da? I should have said something earlier.”

“No . . .” mumbled Mei. She tried her best to compose herself- _Thirty-one years old, and still a crybaby sometimes_ , she thought angrily- and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I- I should have been the one to say something, maybe. I wasn't trying to manipulate you, or something like that. I just,” she sighed. “I just w-wanted to get to know you, and Hana and Lúcio really pushed me, so I- I just went for it!”

“Mei.”

Zarya waited for the scientist to meet her gaze before continuing. “Mei . . . it's okay that you like me. I admire you a lot, and you are cuter than- than a kitten.” She cleared her throat. “You are very cute, I mean. And smart. And I would enjoy very much- getting to know you better. Da?”

The Chinese woman noticed her palms were sweating. She started to turn her entire body towards Zarya, with the idea of embracing the other woman: both as a thanks, and a sign of approval. As she twisted her figure over, her foot caught awkwardly on the legs of the stool, and Zarya lifted her arm in surprise.

Mei fell smack on the floor.

“Damn it!” cried out Mei. Thankfully, she had landed on her bottom, and caught herself with one forearm.

“Are you all right?” said Zarya, half-concerned and half-amused. She smiled faintly.

“Yeah. My foot. It caught,” replied Mei. She adjusted her glasses and remained sitting. Her ass was also probably going to bruise.

Zarya moved from her chair, swooping down to kneel next to Mei, and letting a grin break like a sunrise across her face. One of her large, callused hands grasped Mei's cheek, the other on Mei's shoulder. “No problem. Let me help.”

“Oh, it's ok-”

Zarya leaned in and pressed her lips to Mei's. It took Mei a split-second to comprehend what was happening- and then she returned the kiss. Zarya didn't have lips quite as soft as Mei's own, but their firmness was nice, as strong as Mei had imagined them. The scientist let herself relax and closed her eyes, and the women remained like this for a moment before pulling apart. Mei's body felt like it was on vibrate. Butterflies filled her torso. She couldn't _not_ smile her biggest when Zarya glanced up to check her reaction.

Zarya whispered, “Did that help?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Do you want another one?”

“Yes, please.”

\---

And that's how Ice Girl became Ice Girlfriend, after learning what it was like to kiss a girl.

(That's also how Hana Song learned to swim, not so willingly, at Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Mei couldn't even feel guilty about pushing Hana off of the dock and into the sea. She deserved it!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much to everybody who gave me kudos, or wrote me a comment, or bookmarked this fic! This is the longest piece of fiction I've written at the present moment, and I've had a lot of fun thus far. I hope to publish a lot more for everybody's enjoyment- and my own, not gonna lie. Thanks again! <3


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